in the community & special events

Reason to Dance, Reason for Hope
benefiting Riley Hospital for Children

Amanda participated as a "local celebrity dancer" for Reason to Dance, Reason to Hope, a fundraiser for Riley Hospital for Children.  Amanda fundraised for 10 months, ultimately raising $14,000 for the local children's hospital.  In total, the event raised just over $100,000.  Throughout the year, Amanda held events in the community to bring awareness to the cause and urged local businesses to sponsor the her and the event.  The event, a "Dancing with the Stars" type of competition, had Amanda partnered with a professional dancer.  They trained together several times a week for six months, and together they won the "Judges Choice" award for the best performance at the competition.  Riley Hospital for Children holds a special place in Amanda's heart because she actively volunteer's at the hospital in Child Life Services.  In that department, she works one on one with patients and their families while they are in the hospital.  She values her time spent with Riley’s children and their families because of the strength they embody and the perspective they give on what is really important in life. 

Drug abuse resistance education

As a board member on the executive board of directors for D.A.R.E. Indiana, Amanda serves her community with drug abuse education and resistance training in elementary schools.  When Amanda lived in South Bend in a previous new market, Amanda was a "D.A.R.E. role model," working with the Mishawaka Police Department.  Amanda would visit several classes a week and discuss her education in D.A.R.E. when she was a student, her experiences in her life with drug abuse and addicts, and motivate students to resist drugs and focus on their education and athletics.  When she moved to Indianapolis, she was invited to serve on the state's board of directors.  Amanda was asked to give the keynote speech at the state's annual awards banquet, where she received the "Distinguished Citizen's Award."
" It’s already a blessing to be able to serve my community and state on the executive board of directors for #DAREindiana. But I am honored to have received the Distinguished Citizen’s Award and humbled to give the keynote speech at this year’s awards banquet. It is so important to talk about the addiction battle too many families face, and break the stigma surrounding it so we can make a change that desperately needs to happen. " - Amanda Starrantino

MONUMENTAL YOGA 

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Amanda, an advocate for health and wellness, approached her managers at RTV6 News about partnering with a local community event, Monumental Yoga.  With support from her department heads, Amanda coordinated a media partnership with Monumental Yoga, a community-wide yoga event benefiting Indy Yoga Movement - a nonprofit implementing yoga classes in underserved elementary, middle, and high schools in the area.  Amanda did a series of stories with vendors participating in the annual event, focusing on the impact their local business has in the Indianapolis community.  It was also a priority for Amanda to showcase the impact Indy Yoga Movement has on students who have experienced the program.  

Blood drives 

One in every seven people that enter a hospital needs blood, every two seconds someone in just the United States needs blood.  Yet, less than 10% of the eligible population able to donate actually do so.  One pint is all that is needed to help save three lives.  Amanda continues to support blood donation in her community through hosting blood drives with the Indiana Blood Center at her work.  In this way, her one donation, can turn into several when a team does it together.  She also uses this as an opportunity to share with her viewers the value of blood donors and calling for action in her community for others to not only step up to donate, but to host a drive themselves.  

RTV6 TOY DRIVE WITH THE INDY FUEL TEDDY BEAR TOSS

The RTV6 Toy Drive is an annual event hosted by RTV6 News where the station collects and donates thousands of toys to children in the Central Indiana community.  The station also partners with the Indy Fuel hockey team for a Teddy Bear Toss to promote the event.  Amanda performed a duet with the team's mascot at the game to bring more awareness to the event and the station.